From The Afterlife to The Past Life
by theriku260
Summary: After Danzo's death, he finds himself awakening in a certain five year old blond boy's apartment with a note from Kami that boils down to "make him S class and don't be a douche this time". Now his older self is plotting against him in a game of cat and mouse. Danzo always liked a challenged, if only his new roommate wasn't so damn loud in the mornings. AU, slow updates.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**AN: Hello my peeps, Riku here! I've arrived with the beginning of a new story, with hopes it will bring you tears of empathy and happiness along the way. Many of you have been waiting for this particular story to begin, and here it is. I decided to publish this first chapter BEFORE the final chapter of 'ANBU's Mascot', which will be happening very soon. Anyways, please enjoy and let me know what y'all think.**

**Disclaimer for the whole story: I don't own Naruto; if I did, not only would Danzo not be completely evil, but Naruto's favorite color would be blue instead of orange since blue is way better than orange.**

**Somewhere no one wishes to be, moments after Danzo Shimura v Sasuke Uchiha… **

Danzo Shimura was uncomfortable with how his life turned out. It had begun happily enough, with him being awed at the thought of becoming a shinobi for his clan and the infantile village of Konoha. His early years held a mixture of joy and hardships, but over all Danzo was proud of his accomplishments.

Then the first Shinobi war hit. That one mission, that cost him his idealism, his smile, and finally… one of his best friends. Danzo Shimura died that day, even if no one knew that. In its death arose the 'Darkness of Shinobi', the antithesis to his other best friend and rival Hiruzen Sarutobi. The two friends had taken the mantle once both their sensei died. In Tobirama's untimely demise, an unready Hiruzen was thrust into the Hokage position, something Danzo had always secretly desired.

Time passed, and peace returned to the world, but Danzo was jaded by this point; his mentor, most of his clan, and dream were taken from him in one form or another. So Danzo found a new path, the path of a tool.

Emotions were dangerous, so he sought to lock them away where he could. His still friend Hiruzen grudgingly admitted the use of a group so secret, no one could link them back to Konoha. Over the following years, select shinobi rose from the deep shadows to serve the great tree, and in these roots, Danzo found peace.

It was during this time Danzo found a lover. A pretty civilian woman who had no business being involved with the vile and crippled man Danzo had become; here he was, not even thirty and riddled with scars, the largest of which inhibited his mobility on his leg.

But Tsubaki Namikaze didn't care. She was the owner for a run down ramen shop, one that he visited on a whim after a grueling mission that caused three young ROOT chunin to perish. The woman didn't look at him with the pity of a civilian, but with the understanding of a shinobi, as her swollen belly made her all the more beautiful.

Those three years were happy times for Danzo. His missions were still a wash of dull grey, but his down time was brighter than Suna's sun. Tsubaki's enlarged abdomen was from an old man who took it on himself to teach the woman the 'pleasures' of intercourse. That man was found strung up and gutted, signs of torture evident.

Minato Namikaze, a fitting name as Danzo had no desire to rebuild the Shimura clan, especially as the boy was too beautiful for such a dark name. The ghosts of his clan home still haunted him in its emptiness. Danzo played with the small child on his down time and began to experience the feelings of parental love. It didn't matter if he kept the relationship a secret, that not even Hiruzen was aware of his new family; they were his. Life was bliss.

But of course, humanity's hatred knew no bounds. The Second Great Shinobi War began as a silent tornado. Danzo received word from his ROOT that an attack on the village was emminant from Kumo. In a rush of fear and love he sent his darling wife and secretly adopted three year old to the center of the land of Fire in hopes they would safe.

They never made it; the civilian caravan they were in was attacked and slaughtered, the children kidnapped. Little Minato and the others were being carted towards Iwa, along with a single Uzumaki child who was hitching a ride before being escorted home with an Uzumaki guard. They were found, Minato curled up around the dead girl protectively, on a battlefield near the boarder with the Land of Stone. Apparently Konoha had a battalion waiting to slaughter the intruders. Minato was the only survivor, and Danzo had made him a ghost at birth.

So, confused, the Leaf Shinobi took the only survivor back to Konoha, not completely sure where he came from as Danzo had snuck mother and child into the caravan and no one really remembered the boy from a shinobi clan. They decided that while he might have been from a boarder town or even Iwa, leaving him to die was not an option. At the orphanage, a subtle genjutsu on the matron made the boy be assigned the name 'Minato Namikaze', in honor of the ramen stand woman who went missing a few weeks ago and was known for her kindness despite the 'tragic miscarriage three years ago'.

As Danzo Shimura gave the child who should have called him nothing but Tou- san sleep in a traumatic bliss, he cried while wiping all snippets of memory from the last four months, ensuring the child would never remember his parents as more than a dream.

The next day, Danzo dove into the war, slaughtering more Iwa and Kumo shinobi than most thought possible. His world was completely grey now. Hiruzen simply chalked it up to anger for the audacity of their tentative allies to slaughter civilians.

Over the years Danzo chose to not think of the boy and destroyed his emotions with extreme prejudice; his goal for the Hokage position became twisted in wishing to turn the whole world grey; why did other shinobi get happiness, and let their emotions cause conflict (especially that basterd Sakumo) when he couldn't? No, Danzo would make Konoha great, burn everyone else to the ground, and protect the foolish young from the trap of humanity's heart.

When his child made it to Hokage, Danzo felt a shimmer of pride, but that pride was snapped when Minato stared at him in suspicion on their first meeting in twenty years; Apparently Hiruzen had warned the boy of his…darker pursuits.

Seeing your own child view you as a potential monster was troubling. But it didn't last long. Within a year Minato was dead, the Jinchuuriki Kushina along with him, leaving Danzo's adopted grandson Naruto all alone.

Danzo knew Minato died because of his emotions, his love for his wife. Why couldn't Kushina seal the beast? She was most likely on death's door anyways from the extraction. Instead they both died and Danzo was at a loss.

His plan to take the Hokage's hat in the uproar failed, and Hiruzen had so much security that Danzo had no hope of kidnapping the boy without it leading to war with another nation.

So Danzo watched. And watched. And he grew disgusted. Here was the creature his _son sacrificed EVERYTHING for _goofing off and playing pranks. One day Danzo observed the boy and realized the problem with his adoptive grandson.

Naruto was lonely. His emotions allowed for him to be. At that point Danzo Shimura plotted to take over Konoha before the boy was killed, then strip him of his emotions. It was sadistic, cruel, and wrong on so many levels, but that was Danzo's goal.

Orochimaru was let free and Kinoe was beginning to be trained; the boy's wood style could help train Naruto in the fox's chakra more than he could in his old age with an inferior arm that radiated Hashirama's power.

The Uchiha were wiped out, and Danzo kept their eyes, much like he kept his old team mates; there was no way Danzo would let those who caused his son to die even an ounce of life. Itachi was an exception and Sasuke was tolerated.

Atrocities were committed, and Danzo kept trying to take over Konoha; but that bitch Tsunade sent his grandson off with Jiraiya, a man who then loosened the boy's seal prematurely. It took great effort to not kill the man and fake Naruto's death when he saw _that _report.

Then 'Pein' attacked, a boy Danzo was sure was slaughtered by his own plotting. This was the man who was after his grandson. No way in hell.

Naruto came back from that battle a hero, and Danzo barely managed to hold the tiny upturning of his lips when the boy was accepted.

Danzo was going to be Hokage. His dream was coming true. Now to take care of the Akatsuki, ensure Tsunade never woke up, and then make his grandson a proper shinobi.

One who didn't eat ramen. That obsession had to die, as watching Tsubaki, Minato, and Kushina all devour it were painful memories he couldn't repeat.

That's when he tried to kill Sasuke Uchiha. And failed. Miserably. Even with eleven Izanagi, the boy was too powerful, too young, for Danzo's jaded, brittle bones. In his last moments he committed suicide, hoping it would take the monsters (one of whom's chakra reminded him too much of the bastard's chakra that was on Minato's corpse) with him to hell.

Danzo Shimura mused on these memories as he lay with closed eyes, not wishing to open them to the no doubt grim after life that he's earned.

_Wake up, _a melodious voice commanded him. On instinct Danzo's eyes… eye opened, arm poised for a jutsu. The voice giggled in amusement at the futile effort as Danzo looked around to complete darkness. It was as if no light had ever touched the place.

_That won't do you any good, Danzo- chan. When you wake up next, don't freak out. I have big plans for the chosen one and you are going to help me._

Danzo found himself mute, and then his mind went blank, the voice's childish giggle filling his mind.

**Konoha, five years after the Kyubi attack, Naruto's apartment…**

Naruto looked rather suspiciously at the kid on his couch. His care taker had left in a huff that morning after Naruto pulled a prank on her. He knew the lady didn't deserve it, but she was always so… blank. She never showed any feelings and didn't talk unless it was necessary; it irked the blonde more than the glares and disappointed eyes from the rest of the village and Hokage. Today was the last day she'd be coming as he was now deemed 'capable enough' of not starving or dying from his own mistakes.

Of course, ANBU still checked on him and his apartment had seals that alerted the Hokage to every visitor, not that he knew that. Naruto had been praying for a friend as the woman with bored eyes slammed the door closed, leaving him alone. Sighing, Naruto had walked morosely towards his living room with thoughts of a new prank, only to find his couch occupied by a brown- haired boy his age.

Rather than doing the smart thing and finding a weapon in case it was a trap like in 'Ninja adventures volume three', Naruto gave into his boisterous personality.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE" The five year old bellowed. Eyes snapped open, brown eyes meeting blue in an encounter that would change the shinobi world's path forever.

Danzo looked at the blonde in confusion for a split second, ignoring how they were looking eye to eye despite the fact Danzo was (at least the last he checked) an adult. He disrupted his chakra in a subtle attempt at dispelling a genjutsu in case he had actually been captured instead of dying on that bridge. With a furrowed brow he realized that not only was his chakra impossible to control, but it was _tiny._

Naruto looked at the paling brunette who sat there slack jawed, eyes darting around the room. He racked his brain for what to do, remembering what Hokage- jiji had told him to do with guests.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"…Danzo" said the brunette, who looked startled at his own voice.

"Wait here, I'll get ya some water." Naruto said, pointing his tiny finger at Danzo.

While Naruto left to grab some water, Danzo suddenly had a note appear from midair, its words an angry red on the paper.

_I have given you another life- don't waste it. Naruto is the child of prophecy and he must live up to that name._

_Make him strong or the next time we meet I will have the Shinigami feast on your soul for all eternity._

_With Love,_

_Kami- sama_

_P.S Congrats you're five! Enjoy the academy, here is your identification papers. Your identity is solid, so if you reveal who you once were the deal is off._

The note disintegrated in the now five year old Danzo, who now held the official Konoha resident papers and ID. _'What 'deal'' _He asked mentally as he read the forms.

_Name: Danzo _

_Family: None_

_Status: Orphan _

_Cause: Kyubi attack_

The form had everything, from blood type to his discharge from the orphanage due to him being entered into the shinobi academy starting next week. After all, academy students are considered shinobi in training and receive funds from the shinobi orphan office for apartments. It was an attempt to promote self reliance and maturity. The final sheet was an instruction sheet from the orphanage matron to check the apartments around this area and hand the landlord the attached official document to get him set up in housing.

By this time Naruto had turned around with two glasses of water in his hands. His eyes lit up at the familiar 'orphan relocation packet' as was the slang.

"Nani?! You're looking for a place to stay Danzo?" Naruto asked. Danzo rubbed his ear at the volume.

"No, I" He tried to protest, still fighting the thought that this wasn't a dream or hallucination or extremely overpowered genjutsu.

"Hehe, well you've come to the right place then! I don't know who told you about this place but I'm looking for a room mate." Naruto stuck his thumb proudly to his chest, the other hand having fingers crossed behind his back. He wasn't actually looking for a room mate, but a really nice voice kept telling him to say that, and who was he to argue with a voice?

_'That's it Naruto- chan, you'll have a new friend living here in no time. Then you won't be so alone. I'm so proud of you,' _The voice cooed to the excited five year old.

Danzo's voice, on the other hand, was not quite so nice.

_'Accept his damn offer this instant before I gut you and revive you for a millennium' _Was the 'encouragement' Danzo received.

"…Alright." The brunette gave in. Cue excited screaming.

"YATTA! YIPPIE I HAVE A FRIEND!"

"Silence!" Danzo went into 'commander mode' from his years of beating small children into his image. Instantly Naruto cowed a bit. "If I am to stay here, there are a few rules. First, listen to everything I say, when exactly that I say it."

"…huh?" Naruto said at the confusing wording. Danzo ignored him and moved on, already planning on how to turn this into an advantage for himself.

"Second, no shouting. And third… I will help you become a strong shinobi"

"But you're a kid like me" Naruto pointed out but flinched at the glare.

"Again, I will help you become a strong shinobi, be your…friend" This part was added at the threatening of 'Kami- sama'. "And let you live with me on one condition: you will aid me in my quest to become Hokage!" Danzo finished.

_'Why do you even care about that position' _The voice growled. Danzo spit back.

_'Because if I have to put up with a five year old and going to the academy, adopted grandson or not I demand some compensation.' _He demanded.

Danzo knew that children as young as Naruto rarely kept their dreams the same; it was something Danzo grudgingly respected about the blonde in his…past life. He saw no qualms with steering him away from the ambition for his benefit.

Naruto blinked at the odd stipulation and then rubbed his chin.

"But I wanna be Hokage. What about me? Can we both be Hokage?" Like any five year old, Naruto didn't really get the whole 'Hokage' thing yet, just the vague idea. Danzo capitalized on this with a gleam.

"Of course. First I get to be Hokage though." He stated firmly. Naruto thought then nodded. He grinned and grabbed his new friend's hand.

"Let's go Danzo! We hafta give your paper thingy to the land lord. She's alright, just don't look her in the eye, she hates that" Naruto informed his roommate. The blonde was proud of himself for remembering how Hokage- jiji walked him through the process of getting the apartment.

Danzo turned green at being dragged around like a rag doll with a loud speaker in his ear, wondering if being eaten by the Shinigami would have been better.

**That night…**

Naruto was snoring loudly on his bed while Danzo glared at the ceiling from his futon on the floor. A simple look in the mirror on their way out had relieved the notion that he was a carbon copy of his childhood self and instead was the definition of a plain creature- Danzo was a rather plain child to begin with but this was ridiculous. Hiruzen hadn't met him until they were ten and Danzo had by that point distinct features, so he would be out of suspicion for a while, if ever. After all, Danzo was a common enough name and his hair now was several shades lighter and thicker than the past. With that in mind Danzo had allowed Naruto to lead him.

He had gotten the forms filled out, given papers to the ANBU who stopped them (said ANBU was now observing the room, no doubt on Hiruzen's orders), kept the exact circumstances of how he arrived in the apartment a secret, and managed to make Naruto eat an egg instead of opening the cup boards for that dammed ramen.

Now it was just him and his thoughts. And those thoughts were _dark. _So many questions flooded his mind.

_'Why did it have to be HIM? Why couldn't I go back to Minato's time? Surely, he needed me more, then I could have stopped the Kyubi attack before it began. This…shadow of Minato is useless. Or better yet, why couldn't I just go back to when Hiruzen and I were young? I could have prevented Hiruzen from becoming Hokage and protected the great tree PROPERLY.' _All these thoughts were coming to him where before he had pushed them away in the chaos of getting situated.

It was these thoughts that seemed to pull him back to that dark, dark place. Only this time, a ball of light held the voice of the self proclaimed 'Kami- sama'.

_'Tee hee, you don't even realize why I sent you back here, do you?' _The ball seemed amused.

"No, I don't. I'm useless like this, and Hiruzen will no doubt see right through me… that or my other self will. What's the point of this? The boy was capable of defeating Pein by the time he was sixteen, what does he need me for?" Danzo sneered. While he agreed that emotional training was a must, this voice had threatened him with unspeakable things if he put its 'child of prophecy' through emotional conditioning since it would somehow alter this mysterious prophecy. Danzo called bull shit but one doesn't just dismiss a being who can teleport you into the past and not have the space time continuum fall apart.

The voice sighed.

_'Danzo, Danzo, Danzo. You weren't supposed to go down this path of bitter denial about your pain. This is just as much as for you as it is for Naruto. What would Tsubaki or Minato say if they saw you? Or your beloved sensei? Would they be proud of your mistakes?'_

"It doesn't matter! They're dead" Danzo snapped. The voice that he still refused to completely believe was 'Kami- sama' sighed.

_ 'And so are you… but the hope of Konoha isn't; Hiruzen once was your greatest friend behind that Uchiha. Perhaps you can create another bond like that. Konoha is blessed to be a beacon of light in the shinobi world, but not if it kept going down the path you started with your meddling into the Uchiha. This is your chance: stop your mistakes and make Naruto Uzumaki- Namikaze the greatest shinobi... and your dream of Hokage won't come true as Naruto deserves it.'_

"Tsk…fine. But you're wrong about the Hokage positition! I will become Hokage."

_'Hmm we'll see. So we have an agreement?'_

"Yes, yes, I'll make the brat into S- class by the time he's thirteen and fix the so called 'mistakes' of my past…and present… adult self. Happy?" Danzo crossed his arms (God it felt surprisingly good to have mobility) and kept his thoughts that the Uchiha still deserved to die for their treachery to himself.

_ 'Excellent!' _The ball of light bounced and grew brighter. _'I will check on your progress from time to time, as well as Naruto's; don't disappoint me Danzo.'_

Like a light snuffed out Danzo was back in the boy's…no, his… room. With a sigh of resignation, he drifted in a light yet peaceful slumber.

**Hokage Tower…**

__Hiruzen kept alternating from being puzzled and happy for Naruto that a rather mature child decided to room with his surrogate grandson, and distrustful at the suddenness… and the name.

Yes, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew many with that name, but he still kept him self from trusting those with it. Even sitting across from his former good friend was difficult, evident in the fact even now he grimaced at what could have been had Danzo not gone down the path of ROOT.

ROOT was necessary, though not in the way his old friend and rival envisioned. It was supposed to be a group of shinobi more skilled than ANBU in stealth and more willing to do the grimiest of shinobi work with the threat of being disavowed at convenience. Not many could stomach it, but the world required it.

But Danzo took it too far. The one eyed war hawk stared with too much interest at the orb for Hiruzen's liking, no doubt wishing both could be in ROOT to become 'tools' or 'weapons'- especially Naruto. He knew he should get rid of Danzo, but getting rid of one of the last of your childhood friends was difficult. The aged leader was still hoping for another turn around, much like how it was for a few years before the Second Great Shinobi War. Those were nice years, even if Hiruzen never discovered the cause.

"I don't trust him" Was Danzo's simple, yet resolute reply. Hiruzen was about to agree to have more ANBU watch them and dig up more than the superficially trail they had discovered.

But then a wave of peace flowed through him and instead he chuckled.

"No, no, old friend, you are too jaded; let Naruto enjoy his new friend. Maybe they'll help each other in the academy. Now leave me to my work." Hiruzen waved his hand at the man. Danzo, a bit shocked as they were just avidly discussing the issue like they used to as happy chunin on escort missions- not that Danzo would ever admit he enjoyed those discussions- looked at his most hated rival, former (or present… it was complicated) best friend and shrugged.

As he walked out, ROOT agents were already at work digging up information on the child that eerily reminded him of himself. The candle lit halls of the Hokage's Tower shrouded his contemplative expression.

**One week later…**

"DANZOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Naruto shrieked in fear. It was going to be their first day of the 'Super Awesome Ninja Kick Butt Academy' as the blonde had so fondly named it. He was already dressed and packing lunch for the day: rice balls.

For some reason his friend hated ramen and after he smashed all his ramen packets, Naruto had relented; he still got it at Ichiraku, but no ramen in the house. Naruto obeyed because he didn't want to be alone again.

While Naruto was hoping from foot to foot and thinking about stopping for ramen after school, Danzo had blearily looked up at the clock.

And then threw it at his roommate's head.

"YWEOCH!" Naruto moaned. By the time he sat back up Danzo was dressed in training gear and threw an identical set at the blonde child.

"Put these on; I picked them up yesterday. We will run around the walls once before class, do thirty push- ups, and work on chakra control. If we have time we'll work on taijutsu."

"B- but the academy is starting soon" Naruto whined even as he put on the black tunic and loose pants. Every morning it was 'run run run' and 'catra…er, chakra control' from the academy scrolls they received for the year. Naruto hated reading from those things, mainly because reading was hard, though his new friend seemed to beat the information into his brain.

Danzo massaged his temple and counted to ten, glad he'd never had to raise any of his shinobi. ROOT babies were taken care of by a specific kunoichi and he never saw them until they were at least smart enough to know not to talk in his presence.

"Perhaps if you didn't wake me up at THREE THIRTY AM when the academy starts at EIGHT THIRY AM, I wouldn't make you run."

"Really?" Naruto was already planning on never waking Danzo up.

"Of course not; I always wake up at precisely five am for training. But now instead of three hours of morning training, we have five hours. Isn't it wonderful?" Danzo smirked while facing away from Naruto, imaging his pale face.

"O- oh yeah, well I'mma beat you, believe it! I'll run faster and longer and make that stupid leaf stick to my head." Here flames of determination were formed.

_'Perfect. He took the bait' _The former ROOT leader mused.

"Hmm, we'll see." Was all he parted onto the younger child and with out another word they were off, a neck and neck race. For the first time in years, Danzo found himself enjoying a competition.

Even if it was with someone who thought babies came from the toilet.

**End! This was a story I had promised you guys awhile ago, and I figured it was time to start it now that Mascot is ending. A few things:  
1\. This… is a tad more serious than KMM, but not overly so. I'm trying my hand at more emotional writing like in 'From Academy to ANBU' so let's see how this goes.**

**2\. Danzo's backstory… really, I don't think one event would completely make some one such a maniacal evil mastermind, so I gave Danzo depth. Kishimoto never developed his past much, and I figured there had to be more to his interests in Naruto than what cannon and fanon say. Sure Naruto has potential and is a Jinchuuriki, but I don't remember Danzo pushing so hard for Kushina, and it's not clear. Minato's backstory, being so vague, opens up the door for Danzo's character to grow. That's the beauty of Minato: we know so little about his heritage and childhood that it makes it feasible for fanfiction to give Naruto crazy bloodlines or whatever. I just made it to where it gave him a connection to Danzo (no matter how weak).**

**3\. Kami- sama… just, this being will barely show up, but they do mess with the time line a lot, don't they? I noticed in canon how easy it would have been for Madara, Obito, Zetsu, or Kaguya to win… or for Sasuke to turn his back against Konoha again and wreak havoc. This is my response to how to fix it. Kishi just got too power happy by making every bad guy have connections to others and secret super weapons that it's a miracle Naruto won the war. So, Danzo (in chibi form obviously) is going to be that answer.**

**4\. Danzo's dream… I mean, it's plausible. And everyone knows I really don't think Naruto is Hokage material. But, I do plan on them being rivals for the position and who knows? Maybe Naruto will reach his dream.**

**Sooo… how did you like it? How will the two Danzo maneuver around each other, and will chibi Danzo be able to fix older Danzo's mistakes before they happen? Or will Danzo even survive his first day in a crowd of five year olds? Stay tuned for next time and see you in my other stories!**

**P.S I plan on Naruto getting toads this time (a shocker, I know) but what about Danzo? The more adorable and pathetic looking the better. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**AN: Wooah! Already over fifteen reviews on the first chapter alone! Not to mention almost fifty favorites and almost eighty follows! Y'all are so kind, and your ideas for the summons are…interesting. The bunnies sound amazing to be honest, but more suggestions are welcome! **

**Now, on with the story!**

**Shinobi academy, first day…**

Danzo stood in the court yard of demon children, not even caring that Naruto was clutching his shirt in fear. In all honesty, Danzo was terrified too, as the children's stupidity was displaying itself everywhere he looked.

The Inuzuka child from the side family was in a fight with an Uchiha girl about whether cats or dogs were better. It was looking as if it would be dissolving into a brawl.

Nearby, two Aburame were leading their bugs in a straight line towards a civilian's lunch box.

_'Ah yes, the Aburame twins of Shibi's brother. If I remember right, I killed them for spying on ROOT when they joined ANBU at fourteen. Pity, they were powerful, if a bit silly for Aburame.' _Danzo mused. He realized that they would probably be one of the mistakes he'd have to stop his older self from making, as their combined abilities would have been a boon in the Pein attack.

While the twins were making mayhem, the reincarnated war hawk saw the six year old Sasuke stand shyly behind his brother as they walked in. Here was Danzo's first move, to make the Uchiha an ally worth saving in Konoha's eyes.

_'Even if they should totally die' _He grumbled.

In his previous life, Naruto had seen Sasuke on his first day and wanted to be friends with the boy. For one week the boys were friends… until adult Danzo had Naruto switched to another class that didn't have any Uchihas and discretely used a genjutsu to make Naruto not want to go over to the Uchiha compound. The genjutsu barely lasted three days, but three days for a child's friendship was enough to make the boys move on from their bond, and Naruto ended up forgetting about his first academy friend. Naruto wasn't allowed to make a bond with the Uchiha clan or any of its members as Hiruzen would see it as an excuse to build rapport with the village and clan. After all, if they could be trusted with the Jinchuuriki and former kage's child (the resemblance was too obvious not to be known), the Uchiha clan would have theoretically not wish a revolt. And thus, Danzo's revenge and quest for power would be halted.

So, first step was to cement the relationship… at least until his deal with Kami- sama to keep the Uchiha clan alive was complete. After that, he planned to break Naruto's friendship with any and all Sharingan users through manipulation. For now, though, it was a battle in making the child leave him for Sasuke.

"Er…let's go meet some other…children." Danzo tried. Naruto shook his head with vigor.

"Nuh, uh. I don't need another friend, I have you! Besides, they could be mean." Danzo continued to prod the boy, but nothing worked. Not promises of ramen, extra training, or threats. Naruto was content with just one person.

"Excuse me, but my brother is a bit shy and I have a mission. Would you two mind watching out for him today?" A voice Danzo both respected and loathed spoke.

Itachi Uchiha: genius to the highest order and the boy Danzo ruined by making him kill his family. And right now, Danzo felt like rewarding the older boy for breaking the ice as Naruto and Sasuke began to wave at each other.

Perhaps letting him live and stay in the village would be reward enough?

"... Very well, this is Naruto and I am Danzo. Come along, Naruto and..."

"Sasuke Uchiha." Itachi supplied. "His name is Sasuke; I'm his older brother, Itachi." If Itachi found it weird about Danzo's lack of childish manners and way of taking charge he didn't show it. Instead he nodded towards Danzo in thanks and used a shunshin to leave after flicking Sasuke's nose and smiling at Naruto.

"So, Sasuke, you're an Uchiha… huh." Naruto said while narrowing his eyes at the dark haired boy. Sasuke tilted his head, confused about the sudden shift in behavior once Naruto heard his last name. Danzo resisted a face palm; he may have told a couple of anti- Uchiha stories at bedtime over the last week. Just a few. Time to salvage the situation.

"Not now Naruto; we have class, let's go. I refuse to be late because of you." Danzo said and pulled the two boys by the scruff of their necks.

"H- hi." Sasuke tried to say while being dragged. Naruto tried to look suspicious but failed miserably. Soon they were plopped next to each other at a table. "Want a pocky stick?" The Uchiha asked when the shock wore off, producing a stick of deliciousness.

"Do I? Yatta, you're the best Sasuke!" Naruto instantly replied, a one eighty happening in his brain about the Uchiha. Danzo just rolled his eyes at how easy Naruto's loyalty was to buy, but then remembered that children were often that stupid.

"Um… Danzo was it? Do you want one, my brother packed too many boxes." Sasuke held out a whole box of strawberry pocky, Danzo's personal favorite. Right then and there the Uchiha had something Danzo hadn't given to his family since the First Great Shinobi War: a smile. It could be classified as nightmare fuel, but it was still a smile.

"Sure." And instantly the box was being devoured. Sasuke and Naruto gaped at him, the older one leaning into whisper.

"He really likes pocky, huh. My aniki is like that."

"Yeah, guess our big brothers are the same!" Naruto whispered back with a giggle. Danzo blinked at the sudden category he was put into.

_'Big brother? Wow he has low standards.' _Danzo mused.

"Pssh, but my Nii- san is better than yours." Sasuke replied. Naruto looked affronted.

"No, he's not! My Nii- san is the most super awesome ninja EVER! And he's like, five months older than me!"

"Well my Nii- san is in ANBU and is waay older than yours! You saw how cool he was! Itachi graduated here at seven!"

"Well then my Nii- san will graduate at SIX!"  
"Like he could!"

"Uh- huh."

"Nuh- uh."

Danzo felt a headache coming on. While slightly delighted that Naruto saw his superiority as a shinobi over an Uchiha (past battle results aside), the boy's exuberance was rather unbecoming. Opening his mouth, the time traveler moved to reprimand both parties, but a frazzled young woman burst into the classroom.

"U- uh, quiet down everyone." The woman- Danzo recognized her as a freshly minted jonin in his past life, where she worked hard to be promoted so that she never taught children again- stuttered. Like the demons they were, the children smelled her fear and capitalized on it by getting louder.

"Stupid Uchiha! Danzo- nii and I are soooo going to be Hokage before your brother!"

"Pathetic Uzumaki! Your shrimp of a brother can't match up to my awesome Aniki!"

"You're shorter than him!"

"THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!"

"SHUT **UP!" **The chunin finally snapped, unintentionally amplifying her voice. Everyone- save Danzo of course- froze, not daring to breathe. "That's better! My name is Aizawa- sensei and I am a newly minted chunin sensei. I hate shouting and being mean so please behave." Everyone nodded in fear after her display. In response she gave them a beam, her short blonde hair and grey eyes lighting up. "Now, sit down and we'll begin with the syllabus. After that is history, math, shinobi code, physical fitness, taijutsu, and finally weapons class. Now, there are some special classes that happen throughout the year, but for the most part this is how the next six years will be. First, please turn to page" Danzo tuned the Aizawa woman out seeing as he helped write the curriculum right after the Kyubi attack. It was a shame that standards were laxed after the massacre at the behest of those terrified of pushing children too hard. Not that they were very high before said event, if he was honest.

_'Bleh; the reason we were so weak for Orochimaru and Pein was because of those cuts and low graduation rates. Not anymore, though.' _With an idle slap of his hand, Danzo ensured Naruto took notes and paid attention even if they covered this at home. The brown haired chibi was not staying here until they were twelve; no, Naruto would pass the graduation exam in May… even if Danzo had to do the test for him and fill in holes as he went.

Math passed much the same as history, though Naruto was excited to prove he was better at addition than Sasuke. The two got into a shouting rivalry that resulted in Aizawa- sensei screaming again. Now Danzo was between them as a buffer, much to his chagrin.

Finally, it was Shinobi Code, where children learned how to close their hearts for the good of Konoha and see the reason for back stabbing.

"So, remember, we don't turn on allies unless they attack first!" Aizawa- sensei chirped as the students studiously wrote. All except Danzo and Naruto, that is. "Now, anyone want to guess what the procedure is if you see a single shinobi from an allied nation on our side of the border without papers?" She asked. Danzo's eye ticked as a little girl (the Haruno, he noted dryly) gave a meek answer to escort them back to their side with a warning and then file a report. Knowing Naruto was looking conflicted seeing as they covered this scenario last week, Danzo regally raised his hand.

"Aizawa- sensei, that is the wrong response" he said diplomatically.

"Oh? And what would you do, Danzo- kun?" She asked with a raised eye brow.

"Simple: knock them out, seal their chakra, then interrogate them. If they have no useful information or bloodlines, kill them and get the bounty for the village through the black market. If they do have useful information or bloodlines, knock them out and bring them to Konoha for further questioning and breeding." He preened at his simplified explanation. Naruto nodded along, proving Danzo was capable of teaching the impressionable youth masses.

"U- uh…" Aizawa- sensei sputtered. "Those are some questionable morals that would take Konoha to war!" Danzo scoffed.

"Morals are subject to change to suit the times; it's not **my **fault my morals are more progressive than **yours.**" He said with a sneer. Again the chunin sputtered. Her hair seemed to frazzle.

"Can anyone tell me why Danzo- kun's methods would lead to problems?"

"It's mean!" The Uchiha girl shouted.

"Only if you see them as equals." Danzo muttered.

"They could catch us and try to kill us all!" The Yamanaka girl countered.

"Uh…don't get caught."

"Silence!" Aizawa- sensei said to the growing discord. She nodded to Naruto, the only one raising his hand. "Yes… Uzumaki- kun?" The woman didn't hate the child (she had not lost anyone close in the Kyubi attack and knew how seals worked), but politics surrounding him made everyone weary, even those with no beef.

"Danzo- nii isn't wrong!" He said petulantly.

"Oh? And why not?" She asked, already dreading the answer.

"Because as Danzo- nii always says: A foreign ally is a synonym for future enemy!"

"Just… sit down Uzumaki."

"Hai!"

Danzo managed to keep the smug look off his face when Naruto spoke the truth. Of course, that was _before _a certain voice spoke in his ears with a warning about teaching him to backstab village allies.

Kami really took the fun out of life sometimes.

**After the academy…**

The two 'brothers' walked out with Sasuke, though Danzo was smirking at his score; he hit every target, even with his non dominant hand. Naruto hit most… with his dominant hand. A blind and injured cat hit more bullseyes than Naruto with his right hand. Though not required, there was no way he'd let the boy get away with not being ambidextrous.

"Hey Sasuke, want to come over?" Naruto asked as the trio walked out. Sasuke moved to speak but Danzo cut him off.

"Naruto, we're going to the Uchiha's house; they have more targets." Sasuke face faulted at Danzo's self invitation but the former 'Darkness of Shinobi' didn't care; it was part of his 'save the Uchiha' plan.

"Eep" Sasuke and Naruto squeeled together when Danzo dragged them towards the compound. Itachi dropped from the trees silently to follow, an amused yet worried look on his face.

"Aniki! You're here; now show Danzo- teme that you're the best" The smaller Uchiha cried at the sight of his older brother. Itachi raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

Danzo tuned the brats out as he schemed, planning on how to get Naruto and he invited for dinner.

Ah, the life of a hero was full of unpleasant tasks.

**And finally, with Elder Danzo…**

The Darkness of Shinobi furrowed his brow at the report from the academy. The child that reminded him too much of himself and shared the same name had answered an ethics question in a way not taught since the Second Great Shinobi War. Before then, it was standard procedure to kill/ capture any shinobi over the border, regardless of 'ally status'. However, then it went out of style, as the second war never truly ended, and tensions were high. To not trigger a war with tentative allies, Konoha stopped her long (and effective) practice. It wasn't even mentioned in any history books available for genin, much less academy students. Then to top it off, he was leading the weapon to the traitor clan of Uchihas.

"Make a scene for Hiruzen, one that causes N- the weapon's ANBU guards to be reassigned temporarily. I think it's time I have a little chat with this 'roommate' of his."

"Yes, Danzo- sama." The ROOT agent bowed before flickering away to create some sort of mayhem.

**End… **

** Sorry for the shorter chapter (2360 words before this AN) but it's a good spot to cut off and I didn't want a 7k chapter. Next chapter will be the two Danzo's first meeting, dinner with the Uchiha (not to mention his awkward encounter with Shisui), and other plotting.**

**The Uchiha massacre… honestly, I know Danzo pushed them to it and Hiruzen never once talked to Fugaku for peace. So, this means the only way it can be prevented is if the Uchiha get to be seen as too valuable for Hiruzen to ignore- and get the Hokage and Fugaku in the same room. There's a lot of angles that have to be played but this is a start.**

**Next question: **We need a sensei and third team mate for Danzo and Naruto! I have a personal choice for both but suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. They won't be graduating at twelve obviously, so think out of the box.

**The ethics question… honestly, how the hell did Konoha survive with such lax morals regarding non Konoha Shinobi. Even in modern day we don't treat allies who do unsanctioned operations with kindness; they're detained at the very least. So, of course Konoha shouldn't be friendly, as 'A foreign ally is the same as a future enemy.' I figured that before the modern age, they were probably stricter and Danzo wishes to keep Naruto safe by teaching the ones he grew up with.**

**I love the suggestions for summons! However, I don't know if they quite fit for Danzo. Any other suggestions (though foxes seem tempting. **

**Finally, go check out 'Akuma- sensei' and 'Hell Cat' by DeadGirlRisen for some fun and tad serious reads.**

**Have a fantastic week!**

** -Riku**


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